This dividend still looks safe

Article Excerpt

BCE INC. $52 is a buy. The telecom giant (Toronto symbol BCE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 912.0 million; Market cap: $47.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 7.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bce.ca) has dropped 20% from its recent peak of $65 in May 2023. That’s partly due to fears that rising interest rates will increase its borrowing costs and force it to cut the current dividend rate of $3.87 a share, which yields a high 7.4%. However, BCE’s capital spending will probably drop 8% in 2023 now that the company has substantially completed a multi-year plan to upgrade its wireless and fibre-optic networks. As a result, free cash flow (regular cash flow minus maintenance capital expenditures)will probably rise 16% to $3.2 billion in 2023. That’s more than its annual dividend payments of $3.5 billion. However, free cash flow should continue to improve beyond 2023, which will support the dividend. BCE is a buy. buy…